Wrapping Up Chicago

I've been delinquent in finishing my Chicago posts. So let's just roll them all into one:

We totally lucked out as far as the weather was concerned. Absolutely perfect fall weather. Saturday morning Ashley and David play ultimate frisbee so we tagged along to hang out in the park. Auntee Laura got Caleb to nap in the ergo and Pippa played on a blanket and tried to sneak a leaf into her mouth at every possible moment.

That night David offered to babysit and the girls hit the town. I don't think we can say that we painted it red or anything, considering we were home by 11, but we had a great time none the less. We had dinner at a place in Wicker Park and watched the Phillies game. We met up with my friend Eric, who happened to be in town with his friend Faye. We had fun hanging out at the bar drinking beers just like the pre-baby days. Ashley even thought the bar tender was flirting with me! I'm not sure if that was true but I choose to believe it. The highlight of the night was when Laura said goodbye to a complete stranger, thinking it was Faye. She practically gave this poor woman a hug! On the way out she said, 'I thought she looked different.' Ha! Laura, always friendly.

The next day we took it easy. Just hung out around the house and watched football. Unfortunately the Bears game trumped the Eagles so we didn't get to see them win. (I still haven't seen that happen, actually!) I got attacked by a killer spider that spontaneously dropped down from the ceiling and almost landed on my face. I'm pretty sure it had a patch over one eye, yellow fangs, and my name tattoo on one of it's legs. I nearly had a heart attack! I really don't want to teach Pippa to be afraid of spiders, but sometimes there is just no controlling my reaction!


Later, I let Pippa crawl around naked for a while. She really is so cute all naked. Caleb thought so too, I could tell. I won't post the full moon pics to protect her privacy but trust me, they are really cute. Here is one that makes her look like she is singing in the opera! It makes me laugh every time I look at it! Enjoy!

Bunnies, Bats, and Frogs

So Pippa has a bed buddy. Its an adorable pink, organic, bunny/blankie hybrid. She got it from my cousin, Emily, who described it as 'something I would sleep with!' That is to say, very cute and cuddly. The other day as I put Pippa down to sleep, she immediately crawled over to it and lay down with it cuddled under her cheek. Precious. So what made me think it would be a good idea bring it on the plane with us?! Bad, bad idea. In all the chaos of getting off the plane we didn't realize we left it, presumely on the seat. Bad, bad mommy. I'm actually a little pissed that no one else noticed it either. But everyone was busy being charmed by Pippa so I guess I can't blame them. Needless to say, I was a little worried that she might miss it and have a hard time sleeping in a strange place.

Well, she did have a very hard time sleeping away from her beloved bed, but I'm not sure if she notice the absence of the bunny or not. Laura and Ashley, God bless them, searched high and low for the same one but did not find it. They did come home with similar bankie hybrid in the shape of a raccoon that is really quite cute. I named him Bandit. They also found this crazy pink stuffed toy that is really quite ugly and looks something like a cross between a bunny and a bat and a frog. Bunnybatfrog is how we now refer to it. But it entertained her well enough for the trip. Meanwhile I ordered 2 more of the correct bunny from amazon so they would be waiting from us when we got home! I have learned my lesson. Guard the lovie closely!

Me And My Buddy

Pippa has a new friend. Caleb is the really cute, 6 month old son of my college friend, Ashley, and has amazing blue eyes. They had lots of time to play and get to know each other over this last weekend. They are only 4 months apart in age, but that is a long time when you are talking about a baby. Caleb is rolling in both directions and sitting like a champ. But Pippa can do laps around him. It was a bit of a wake up call for me to see her as 'the big kid'! (No matter that there were about the same size.) 

They both really enjoyed each other's company. Anytime Pippa got close enough, Caleb would take advantage and attempt to eat whatever part of her was within proximity. Pippa, on the other hand, was facinated with Caleb's face and I spent most of the time keeping her little fingers out of his mouth and eyes. It was rather exhausting! At one point Pippa was in an affectionate mood and would lean in to snuggle with Caleb. He got right on board and they would spend a couple of seconds resting their heads on each other. It was precious. 

The best part of it all was watching the expression on their faces when they saw each other for the first time each day. It was like, 'Hey! You're still here! Alright!' Adorable. I can't wait to get them together again. I'm sure by then they will both be walking and it will loads of fun in a whole different way.

Food Club: Chicago Chapter

Laura, Pippa, and I were in Chicago this past weekend visiting our college roommate, Ashley. Ash has a couple men in her life: her awesome husband, David, and another awesome guy, Caleb, who is 6 months old. The next few posts will be about our trip, but we all know how important food is to me, so I'll start there.

We had a couple good meals. There is a bakery near their apartment on Chicago's north side called Angel Food Bakery. Delish! We decided to get a variety of yummy breakfast treats. Apparently this place is known for their scones and now I know why. The corn bread and bacon scone was amazing! Closely followed by the ham and egg brioche and the quiche. There was barely a crumb left on my plate.

We were also treated to a delicious home cooked meal. David is quite the chef and whipped up a batch of wings for the Phillies game on Sunday night. Now, I don't really like wings but I had one to be polite. And then I had about a half dozen more. They were really really good. That is one recipe I'm definitely going to have to get. We followed the wings with a couple grilled pizzas and a cold beer. I can't think of a better way to enjoy some baseball!

Calamansi

I have a beautiful tree in my mud room, courtesy of my mother in-law. It's a calamansi tree and I love it. When I first got it I was worried I would surely kill it. That can happen with me. I do my best, and I really love having house plants but sometimes its just not meant to be. She also gave me an orchid once. It died a rather fast and miserable death. I potted some great mums in my large, outdoor pots. They looked great for a week and then turned brown and died. Still not sure why. 

Luckily, the calamansi tree has found a happy little place next to a large window and get watered often. Its so happy, in fact, that its bearing fruit. These are the calamansi fruit, which are a small citrus fruit. They are very tart, but delicious when squeezed into a glass of seltzer. I think this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Pumpkin Festival

There is nothing like stumbling upon a fun fall festival. We had no idea the Pumpkin Festival was going on this past weekend at Shady Brook Farms. But it made for a good photo op!

Here we are on the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch. Oddly, there was no hay on the hay ride.

Notice the Eagles gear!

Pippa picks a perfect pumpkin. Say that five times fast.

Oh So Helpful

Now that Pippa is getting a little older she wants to help mom and dad with household chores. Well, of course she does. She's just such a perfect little girl, isn't she? Hmmmm. The other day Pippa helped me unload the dishwasher and managed to shatter a glass all around her feet. So Pippa, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but let mamma deal with the dishes.